Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company, is preparing to implant chips in the human brain

This follows a viral video of a monkey with brain technology attached playing pong using only its brain Neuralink is now looking to make the leap to human trials, marking a boundary-shattering step toward artificial intelligence being embedded in the human mind, or possibly either give us a glimpse of the hair-raising spectacle behind the curtain

Launched in 2016, Neuralink is another thread in the SpaceX billionaire's broader enterprise, focused on creating devices that can be embedded in the human mind

There is much mystery about how this technology actually works, with Yahoo News reporting that the startup is working on "a flexible thread thinner than a human hair, designed to be implanted in the brain to read brain activity"

Either way, it's pretty cool Mask fanned the flames of anticipation on Twitter, responding to a question from a man who was paralyzed in an accident and asked when brain implants would be available for human use

Mask replied: "Neuralink is working hard to ensure the safety of the implant and is in close contact with the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] If all goes well, we may be able to conduct the first human trials later this year"

Obviously, Mask's comments should be taken with a considerable grain of salt However, they do herald many exciting avenues for what this technology could accomplish In the past, Mask has cited Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease as two neurological diseases that could benefit from Neuralink's research

The Oxford Student reported last year that Neuralink could achieve "a kind of symbiosis with artificial intelligence" and significantly preserve and enhance our brains Ultimately, this technology will allow humans and artificial intelligence to merge

But it's just the beginning, and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish fact from hype when it comes to Musk and his Twitter statements

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